Russia has been the target of global sanctions for reasons everybody is already aware of. From knock-off fast-food chains to imitating fashion brands, innovation has taken many different routes in the country, and now it is reaching the gaming industry.

As revealed in a report given by Anton Gorelkin, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, on his Telegram channel, a specialized team under the Skolkovo Foundation has been assembled to put together a home-brewed gaming console that would allow Russian citizens to enjoy gaming without any restrictions. Restrictions that might have been made by existing giants such as Sony and Microsoft due to the ongoing sanctions.

Unfortunately, while the idea seems sane enough, the execution so far is doubtful, to say the least. Built on the Elbrus processor platform and further running on domestic operating software, the chairperson revealed that the prototype/console has yet to reach even a fraction of the power thatalready existing consoles like the PS5 and Xbox have.

Those looking forward to getting their hands on one of these consoles will certainly have to wait a bit before they can finally get one. It seems there is a long way to go before it can achieve the same high-definition fidelity and raw graphic output its competitors deliver.

While a home-grown console for the Russian market might prove to be a big deal for the locals of the country, it will hardly pose a real threat to the likes of Sony and Microsoft yet.

Furthermore, because the console is in early development stages in a sanctioned environment, it is likely to take more time than it normally takes to develop a console from scratch to completion.

Telling more about their goal of creating an indigenous console, the representative also disclosed how they are not looking forward to porting already existing games onto the up-and-coming console but rather to 'promote and popularize' domestic video game products, expanding the existing audience beyond the scope of PC and mobile gaming.

How well the Russian Gaming Console is going to perform in the market against existing brands and trustworthy products is something that only time will tell as the product finishes its development and is finally launched to the public.

It also remains doubtful if the indigenous console will be marketed and shipped out of its native country or not, leaving us with only hope of seeing it perform against the likes of the current generation PlayStation and Xbox line-ups in the near future.

Posted: 13 hours, 27 minutes ago
Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: https://www.dualshockers.com/russian-domestic-gaming-console-development-update/